


i’ll do anything you say (if you say it with your hands)

by tigerlilycorinne



Series: AUgust 2020 Short Fic [18]
Category: Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - Bodyguard, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Anakin is trying so hard, Communicating in Code, Getting Together, Idiots in Love, In the middle of a very important meeting, M/M, Mutual Pining, Oblivious, POV CT-7567 | Rex, Rex is an idiot, padme is awesome, rexwalker
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-18
Updated: 2020-08-18
Packaged: 2021-03-06 02:53:41
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,994
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25976242
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tigerlilycorinne/pseuds/tigerlilycorinne
Summary: Rex is stuck bodyguarding General Skywalker and his lady senator as they go to an important diplomatic meeting on a hot planet.General Skywalker keeps tapping code messages out during the meeting, and suggesting they go out somewhere nice and get something cold. And telling him Padmé is nothissenator.But this is all just Skywalker being polite, right? What the Generalreallywants is to spend time with his senator.Right?
Relationships: CT-7567 | Rex/Anakin Skywalker
Series: AUgust 2020 Short Fic [18]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1856617
Comments: 25
Kudos: 222
Collections: AUgust 2020





	i’ll do anything you say (if you say it with your hands)

**Author's Note:**

> Another from these two! I really like Rexwalker, if you can't tell. Title from Taylor Swift's "Treacherous."

Rex swallowed hard, his hands too-warm in his gloves, sweat trickling down the side of his face inside his helmet. Wasn’t that this mission was nerve-wracking or dangerous– on the contrary, this mission was extremely safe, hardly a mission at all. 

The mission was so safe, in fact, that General Skywalker was unconcerned enough to spend it flirting with Senator Amidala.

Senator Amidala, to her credit, didn’t allow this to be too much of a distraction, something Rex found himself deeply admiring– if anything, she was subtlety discouraging him. Which was amusing if nothing else, since subtlety was entirely wasted on General Skywalker.

“All I’m saying is if this mission doesn’t turn out well, it can’t be your fault. You’ve got nothing to worry about.” Skywalker shrugged, offering the senator a grin that sent Rex’s heart into a swoon, and the grin wasn’t even for him. 

Skywalker sat in front of Rex, his body turned to the Senator as the three of them were carted along in a creature-drawn vehicle, the reins loose in his hands. He wasn’t even looking at the rocky road, though Maridun’s roads weren’t exactly well-paved or even clearly delineated. The senator kept scolding him, telling him to keep his eyes forward or they might crash into one of the many large rocks that dotted the terrain. 

Senator Amidala sat beside him, her hair done up traditionally and her long, richly dyed robes bunched up in her lap, though they’d spill out without a wrinkle once they stepped out– that was just how she was. 

“I’m not worried about whether it’ll be my fault,” she was saying just then, “I know my own advocacy skills, but I thank you, General, for your kind words.” 

She was smiling almost teasingly, fully aware neither of them were truly being professional. Fully knowing Skywalker was hanging onto every last one of her words, and that she deserved his attentions. What would it be like, Rex wondered, to have a man like that look at you and know you were on the same level? “I’m worried about whether they’ll agree to join the Republic, I don’t care whose _fault_ it is.”

Skywalker kept looking at the senator. Rex kept looking away, his heart in his boots. And then he kept looking back, because he couldn’t help appreciating the way the general’s hair moved in the wind, the careless way he sat in the seat and smiled genuinely at Senator Amidala.

Rex looked away again. “Well if they don’t, they’re fools, the lot of them. What will they do instead? They don’t want to join the Separatists.”

“They _were_ a neutral planet, and we respected that,” the senator pointed out, and then sat up quickly. “Anakin, ahead–!”

Skywalker cursed and swerved right before hitting a rock that was low enough not to draw attention, but high enough that it would’ve damaged the bottom of the cart. He held up the reins with a wry smile. “You wanna drive, Rex? I’m sure you’ll do far better than I can, with Padmé sitting right here.” 

Rex’s heart wrenched in his chest. He was thankful for the cover of his helmet, because he knew his expression had turned pained for a moment.

“ _Anakin!_ ” Senator Amidala scolded, but she sounded delighted. “That’s entirely unprofessional.”

“My apologies, my lady,” Skywalker said, all showy and smiling. 

Rex stood on the back of the moving cart and stepped awkwardly over to sit between them, feeling intrusive and wrong, out of place. He too the reins wordlessly and snapped them, once, to get the feel of them. They sped up. The sooner they were over with this mission, the better– he of course loved to see how indisputably _happy_ Skywalker was with Senator Amidala, but he had to admit it hurt, as selfish as that was.

It wasn’t as if he and Skywalker were ever anything or could ever by anything in any realm of reality– but that was just it. Senator Amidala had what Rex could never possibly have, and she was having it right in front of Rex.

“Rex’s focus is much better,” the senator conceded.

“He’s the best Captain around!” Skywalker sounded like he meant it, and Rex felt himself flush even more. He grinned over at Rex, and Rex’s stomach fluttered, his heartbeat skipping in his chest.

They got to the meeting hall, the guards there checked Senator Amidala and General Skywalker over for weapons– the diplomats weren’t allowed to bring anything in– and gave Rex a nod of acknowledgement as he followed them in. One armed bodyguard was permitted, for precaution, and so that more people would be willing to attend. In these times, it was hard to get any large gathering of people together without assured protection, even on a neutral planet willing to turn Republican.

Rex stood straight and still at the edge of the room, among a line of other guards some of the other diplomats had brought in, rulers from different kingdoms in Maridun, of different sizes, different species. 

He watched Skywalker flit about the room offering handshakes and smiling rakishly, his presence naturally drawing eyes, just as Senator Amidala’s did the same, albiet for different reasons. While Skywalker was a sort of charm that people were drawn to (Rex being no exception), Senator Amidala had a commanding presence, one that demanded respect and made other people envy her… or perhaps that was just Rex’s own feeling as Skywalker returned to Amidala’s side and helped her into her chair as the bell rang, a light and simple double-chime signalling the beginning of the meeting. 

The talks began pretty easily– simple questions. Could the kingdoms rely on protection? Could the kingdoms count of back up during this situation, or that one? Did they have to send in their own troops, or would they simply be paying their part by allowing a Republic base? 

Then it got to rations, supplies, who’d be in charge of what, what the actual documents and laws would become, and the conversation moved away from fully military things, effectively moving out of Rex’s area of expertise. Beyond that, Skywalker was out of his depth as well, and the rest of it was left to Senator Amidala, who’d sat relatively silent but attentive during the military section of the discussions. 

Skywalker, on his part, didn’t even pretend to be attentive. He was sitting beside Senator Amidala– Rex could admit they made a good team, well balanced– and Rex stood across from them in order to be able to watch them and for anything behind them, as were his instructions. 

Skywalker looked at him as if he could see right through Rex’s helmet and find his eyes, which Rex sincerely hoped wasn’t the case, because Rex had been watching him from behind his visor the entire damn time, his eyes helplessly drawn to the smile on Skywalker’s lips, the commanding and sure voice echoing throughout the negotiations hall.

Skywalker’s mouth quirked slightly up, as if he and Rex were sharing a secret. What it was, Rex didn’t know, but his heart tumbled anyway, watching this man look at him as if they were the only two people in the room that _mattered_ among every one else. 

Skywalker just had that effect: he made whoever he was looking at feel like the center of the galaxy. It wasn’t a testament to whatever Skywalker felt about him; if anything, it was a testament to what Rex felt about Skywalker, that he could be heating up in the sealed and ventilated negotiations chamber just from Skywalker’s blue eyes.

Amidala was saying something, and the general was nodding along like he wasn’t really listening, occupying himself with destroying Rex’s sanity with his tiny little smile, his fingers tapping over his knuckles absently where they were clasped before him on the table.

Rex watched his fingers tap out in the Basic tap code they used on the field. 

_THESE MEETINGS ARE SO BORING–stop._

Rex frowned inside of his helmet, resisting the urge to tap out his own message against his gloved hands. It wasn’t good to encourage Skywalker, and especially not in this setting– Maridun was an important planet, geographically, for the Republic, and ergo, for the Separatists as well. If the meeting didn’t go well because Skywalker, one of their _two_ diplomats, a full half of their representatives, was being so openly rude… that wouldn’t go well for anyone. 

But Skywalker’s eyes were fixed on him, blue and bright even from the other side of the room, his secret little smile feeling like a universe made just for him and Rex.

_I CAN NOT KEEP UP WITH PADME–stop._

Rex successfully swallowed down his urge to respond. He couldn’t keep up either, but she was pointing to a graph on a hologram and talking rapidly and assuredly, so whatever she was doing, she was doing it right and she knew it. She had the eyes of the whole hall. Except for Rex– he’d always have eyes only for Skywalker.

And Skywalker, who, for the moment, had decided to distract himself with Rex.

Lucky Rex.

_ITS SO HOT ON THIS PLANET–stop. WHAT DO YOU SAY WE GET SOMETHING COLD AFTER THIS– question mark._

Rex swallowed again. This was a direct question, which was infinitely harder to resist. He imagined them out, Rex spooning something cold out of a bowl and revelling in the sweet taste of it. The clones rarely got anything sweet, and never from their rations, but what little money they got, they didn’t often spend it on sweets. Usually, they spent it on alcohol, which Rex had done, too, until he’d been with Fives once and drunkenly admitted he was in love with the general, at which point he decided he’d better stop. 

Skywalker would make a show of it probably, taking it down so fast he couldn’t enjoy it, or doing it so properly it was a mockery, or enjoying it exaggeratedly, offering some to the senator with a wink.

Yeah, they’d probably share one. Or feed each other. Sometimes Rex wasn’t sure if they even were trying all that hard to keep things a secret, what with the way they teased each other right in front of Skywalker’s men all the time. 

Rex didn’t respond.

_REX–stop. REX–stop. R–stop. E–stop. X– stop._

Rex tapped his fingers against his hand. _FOCUS–stop._

_YOURE NO FUN–stop._

Rex didn’t respond.

_IM BORED OUT OF MY MIND–stop._

Rex sighed and clicked the safety switch on his dual pistols, on off, on off, before holstering them to free up his hands entirely. He took satisfaction in the way Skywalker’s eyes lit up, and the way his face fell when Rex clasped his hands together in front of him and let them hang there, still standing still and professional.

_COME ON–stop. PADME HAS THIS IN THE BAG–stop. THERES NOTHING TO WORRY ABOUT–stop._

To be fair, he _did_ look bored out of his mind, his shoulders relaxed the way someone might sit when they’re not physically tired, they just don’t want to do anything.

Rex smirked to himself, wondering how long Skywalker would go on before he gave up trying to get something out of Rex… forever probably. There wasn’t an ounce of quit in Skywalker, but far from it being an admirable thing, it was more of a stubborn thing, something endearingly annoying, which irked Rex to no end. It shouldn’t have been attractive, but when Skywalker was so openly fond, it was hard not to give in to his insisting. _Let’s go here. Let’s go there. Talk to me, Rex. Stop calling me General. I’m just another guy, right?_

No, Skywalker. Not in the least.

_IF YOU TALK TO ME ILL DO WHATEVER YOU WANT AFTER THIS–stop._

Rex couldn’t help it when Skywalker gave him that completely unsubtle grin and tapped out something like _that_. _DO NOT OFFER THINGS LIKE THAT SIR–stop._

_WHAT WOULD YOU MAKE ME DO–question mark._

What _would_ Rex make him do? Nothing he really wanted Skywalker to do. All the things he wanted Skywalker to do to him, he wanted Skywalker to _want_ to do to him, so Skywalker doing it because he promised Rex he’d do whatever Rex said would kind of defeat the purpose.

 _TAKE YOUR SENATOR SOMEWHERE NICE–stop,_ he tapped back. 

Skywalker frowned slightly, his eyebrows drawing together a little bit. His eyes flicked up to Senator Amidala, who had closed the hologram (when had she closed the hologram? When had Rex gotten that distracted?) and was now pointing to passages on a large, physical document. Whatever was on the physical document didn’t concern everyone, which was a relief, or else Skywalker’s lack of attention would’ve been even more obvious as everyone else crowded around. As it was, the monarchs were mostly clustered around it; the rest of them– secondary representatives and the like– remained in their seats.

 _WHY DONT I TAKE YOU–question mark._ Skywalker had returned his attention to Rex, only briefly distracted by Senator Amidala’s presence.

Rex sighed, knowing Skywalker wasn’t going to give up any time soon, and signed out _I AM NOT SENATOR AMIDALA–stop._

_MY PROMISE WAS TO YOU NOT TO PADME–stop._

_I THINK THERE IS SOMETHING BEHIND YOU–stop._

There was nothing behind Skywalker, but Skywalker turned and looked– the only people behind him were other diplomat’s bodyguards, and they were standing stiff and still, much more dedicated and obedient than Rex himself, Rex realized, and once again told himself he wasn’t going to egg Skywalker on any further. 

Skywalker turned around, his cheeks pink and his eyes bright, the way he always looked when someone made a good joke, a lopsided smile on his face. Rex cursed him mentally. Anyone looking at Skywalker would know immediately that Skywalker wasn’t paying one ounce of attention to the meeting at hand, and was joking with– well, they’d have to conclude it was Rex, which was true, but rather embarrassing, all things considered. He was a Kriffing _Captain_.

 _HA HA–stop_. Skywalker signed, full-on grinning. The idiot. _IM SERIOUS REX LETS DO SOMETHING–stop. IM BORED–stop._

 _I AM DOING SOMETHING–stop_ , Rex signed back, _I AM PROTECTING YOUR LIFE–stop._

 _FINE–stop._

Rex felt a surge of triumph for a moment, but then– 

_WHAT WOULD YOU DO IF YOU WERENT ON DUTY–question mark_.

Rex sighed. He was never not on duty. 

Clone troopers were made for war, and without a war, they weren’t anything, and they had nothing to do, and no where to go. He didn’t like to think about what he would do if he was off duty, because the answer was nothing, really– he’d scrounge around for a job, maybe, or see if he could get some sort of thing going mopping floors wherever Skywalker was, though Skywalker moved around so much the only place he went with regularity that Rex might land a job at would be in Coruscant. 

He didn’t like to think about what he would do off duty because it only drove home the fact that he was nothing _without_ his duty. No one.

He settled on _GO SOMEWHERE COLD–stop._

Skywalker’s mouth twitched. _SO CHOOSE THAT WHEN YOU GET TO TELL ME WHAT TO DO–stop._

_CAN I TELL YOU WHAT TO DO NOW–question mark._

_YOUR WISH IS MY COMMAND–stop._

Rex took a deep breath, letting it out, but it didn’t calm the warmth in his heart or the flutter in his stomach. Techniques to calm down were not applicable to Skywalker’s smiles. 

_I WISH YOU WOULD PAY ATTENTION TO YOUR SENATOR–stop._

_SHE IS NOT MY SENATOR–stop_ , General Skywalker signed back, ignoring Rex’s wish completely. _SHE IS HER OWN SENATOR. SHE IS ALSO SABES SENATOR–stop_. He was smirking now, but fondly, as if Rex was being particularly amusing.

What did he mean she was Sabé’s senator… surely he didn’t mean it the way Rex had meant Senator Amidala was Skywalker’s senator– he’d been flirting with her all the way here. Or, at least, Rex had been sure he’d been flirting.

_I ASKED YOU TO PAY ATTENTION–stop._

He was once more glad for the cover of his helmet– it allowed him to study Skywalker intently without anyone noticing, not that he found anything out through doing it. Skywalker looked for all the world as if he’d meant it like Senator Amidala was romantically involved with her handmaiden, who also was her bodyguard, in a way. 

Not that Rex thought anything of the parallel, or that there was any sort of parallel, or was noticing anything at all about how _he_ was _Skywalker’s_ bodyguard, or anything, and anyway, Sabé was certainly worthy of notice from what he’d heard, nothing like Rex, who was like a million other people. Literally.

_REQUEST DENIED–stop. ASK FOR SOMETHING FOR YOURSELF–stop. WHAT DO YOU WANT–question mark._

What a question that was. At the moment, as stupid and hopeless as it sounded, Rex wanted pretty much nothing– nothing he could possibly have, anyway– and he almost wanted… well, to stay like this, exchanging private little signs with Skywalker across the room and watching Skywalker smile, knowing he was the one who caused it. _To stay just like this,_ he thought. He didn’t sign it.

 _FOR THIS MEETING TO GO WELL–stop. WHICH YOU ARE GETTING DANGEROUSLY CLOSE TO TERMINATING–stop_. It wasn’t true, since no one was _really_ looking at Skywalker, not with Amidala at the front, but Rex made an executive decision and signed it anyway, because a little exaggeration never did anyone any harm.

 _WHAT DO YOU WANT IN YOUR HEART OF HEARTS–question mark._ Skywalker barely finished signing this when he winced, and Rex fought not to laugh at the indignant look on his face. 

Senator Amidala had come back around to her seat and stepped on his foot as she sat down, _hard_ if the look on Skywalker’s face was anything to go by, and shot Skywalker a quelling look that had Skywalker rubbing the back of his neck and sitting straighter, nodding politely to the monarchs that had returned to their own seat across from him.

Rex felt relief and disappointment wash through him simultaneously at the loss of Skywalker’s blue-eyed gaze. He didn’t wish Skywalker would look back at him, not with negotiations wrapping up and the whole planet’s collective council deciding to go to the Republic, which was no small victory… but he almost did.

Thankfully, Skywalker’s eyes didn’t return to him until they were wrapping up the meeting, rolling the physical documents and closing all the holograms into pockets, standing and shaking hands. Everyone was breaking up into their respective diplomatic groups, then, and Skywalker looked over, meeting Rex’s gaze and nodding at him with a lopsided grin, like they weren’t in a room full of people much higher ranked than Rex was.

Rex’s heart skipped in his chest as Skywalker made his way over, his strides purposeful, completely disregarding the people around him watching him go. Senator Amidala joined him from Rex’s other side just as Skywalker arrived, and Skywalker’s eyes flickered to her.

“ _Anakin,_ ” the senator reprimanded, “You can’t send codes like that to your captain, I don’t care how bored you were.”

Rex flushed under his helmet, wishing the fancy wood floor would swallow him whole. She’d _seen_ them tapping out messages? Of course she had– she was Senator Amidala, and she could damn well do anything. Skywalker was lucky to have her. Had Amidala seen _what_ they’d been typing out? Suddenly, reserved as Rex had tried his very best to be, he felt distinctly as if his messages had been wholly inappropriate and possibly even encouraging.

Skywalker shrugged, unrepentant. “You were doing fine, my lady.” 

Rex’s heart clenched in his chest.

“Don’t _my lady_ me after _that_ ,” Amidala said, her glance darting quickly to Rex. “The best Captain around, indeed.” 

The hall was clearing out behind them, and Rex didn’t care to dwell on what Senator Amidala meant by that last comment, so he gestured to them both. “With all due respect, General, Senator, I don’t think we should overstay our welcome.”

“No, I suppose not.” Skywalker lead the way out, saying behind him, “What about I take you somewhere, Rex? You never said what you wanted.”

“I wanted you to shut up,” Rex replied immediately, “sir.”

“For _you,_ something you want for _you_.” 

Skywalker had gotten back into the front part of the cart now, the passenger side, and Senator Amidala took the back before Rex could offer her the front seat, though he wasn’t completely sure he should’ve, since the other seat was the one pulling the reins, and Skywalker evidently meant for Rex to sit there. They’d squeezed up front, all three of them, on their way here when Skywalker had kept getting distracted by Amidala.

The comm in Rex’s helmet buzzed, staticky, and the same sound came from Skywalker’s wrist.

“ _We have a bit of a situation here with the ship, sir,”_ the comm rumbled, _“We have repairs going right now, but you won’t be able to get off for a couple hours. Just a normal malfunction, nothing to worry about.”_

“Might as well take Senator Amidala out somewhere.” Rex snapped the reins and, since the ship was down, headed into town. 

“I’m not going anywhere with this man,” Senator Amidala said from behind both of them. “I think I’ll explore the town on my own. Anakin always draws too much trouble, and I promised Sabé that I was getting back safe.”

“I’ll get you back safe,” Skywalker promised, almost pleadingly.

“I will do my best to protect you,” Rex seconded, because it was his duty to do so, and because Skywalker wanted Amidala to stay. “It is my assignment, after all, and I _am_ the only one among us with a weapon.”

Amidala gave them both a look. “A woman who walks without a knife in her boot is a fool,” she said. “And I think Anakin has yet to tell you what _he_ wants.”

“ _Padmé,_ ” said Skywalker. “You can’t just leave– us.”

“This is yours to deal with,” Senator Amidala said, unfazed, which Rex had to give her credit for. If Skywalker looked at him like that, asking in that tone, he thought he might do anything, but Amidala turned him down without missing a beat.

“What’ll we do without the lady?” General Skywalker sighed and turned to Rex, like Rex was a thing to be dealt with. “Let’s get something cold!”

Rex fingered the grip of his blaster. They were dual pistols, and like an extension of him, like another limb. Still… “If you want to go off on your own, General, I have no doubt you can protect yourself well enough with this.” He held out the blaster, spinning it in his hand so the grip pointed Skywalker’s way.

Skywalker looked down at it, his cheeks flushing. “You’re my bodyguard, come on. It’s in the mission description. You can’t leave me alone.” He fingered the weapon like it was something precious, rather than just another blaster out of the arsenal. To Rex they were, but to anyone else, they were just a couple of blasters. 

“Not unless you want to be.” 

Actually, even if Rex’s charge didn’t want to be left alone, he wasn’t allowed to leave their side, but both Senator Amidala and Skywalker were more than capable, even if the senator only had a knife. She was a force to be reckoned with when she had nothing at all, and chains around her wrists tying her to a pole. 

Skywalker peered at him. “Do _you_ want to be rid of _me_?”

“No, sir.”

“Well then.” Skywalker’s smile filled his whole face. “I don’t see any reason to split up.”

“I thought you might want to go after the Senator, seeing as she’s so fond of your company.” She was, and anyone could see it, even if only in a friendly way, which was hard to believe, given that Skywalker was, well, _Skywalker_.

Skywalker raised an eyebrow. “I’m starting to think you’ve got something against spending time with your beloved General.”

“No, sir.”

Skywalker looked as if he was holding in an immense sigh. “Then let me take you somewhere nice.”

Rex’s heart did a skip again, and Rex allowed himself to follow Skywalker as Skywalker made his way down the wide, open streets, which were lined with stalls. “I thought I told you to take your senator somewhere nice,” he said.

“I thought I told you she’s not my senator,” Skywalker replied without missing a beat, and spotted a stall near the end of the street selling cold-looking, brightly colored drinks. “Hey, whaddya say we get a couple of those?”

“As long as they don’t have alcohol, it’s not against protocol, sir.”

“Stop calling me _sir_ ,” Skywalker murmured absentmindedly, as if it had become a habit by now, and a tingly feeling ran through Rex’s body as he took Rex’s arm, equally absentmindedly, and guided him over. “And no, it doesn’t look like they’ve got any booze.” He said something in another language to the vendor. 

That was one thing Skywalker was good at– although he wasn’t good at being diplomatic in a proper and polite sense, he was good with languages and communication, and that went a long way towards going to Jedi diplomatic missions like these, even if they were mostly held in Basic for everyone’s convenience. 

He must’ve said the word for _two, please_ or something along those lines, because they soon had two very pink drinks in their hand, organically-sourced-looking straws stuck in them. The glasses were tall and– yes– cold. They settled down on the bench.

“Now you have to take your helmet off,” Skywalker said triumphantly. “At ease, soldier.” He said this all the time, so much so that it almost lost its meaning. He said it any time he thought Rex was acting too attached to his protocol, or remaining reserved, which meant he said it pretty much any time they weren’t on the battlefield, so at this point, Rex had learned to ignore it.

Rex shifted himself, stalling, but pulled off his helmet when Skywalker took his drink, because he didn’t want Skywalker to have to hold his drink for ages. He hoped Skywalker would chalk his perpetual flush up to the endless sun on this Maridun. 

He took a sip of his drink– the bright pink wasn’t misleading in the least. It was very, very sweet, almost too much to bear, but Rex took it down anyway, because he rarely got a chance to consume something this sugary, and it _was_ cold, so it helped the heat in his cheeks a little bit. It was smooth and tasted like nectar, hints of floral undertones in it. “Kriff, this is good.”

General Skywalker gave him a pleased smile, his eyes lighting up almost childishly. “I told you to let me get you something cold. It’s nice, isn’t it?”

“It’s not exactly what you’d expect on a mission.” Which was Rex’s way of saying _it’s not exactly proper_ , and he knew the general knew it from the way Skywalker frowned at him a little. “Not with me, anyway. Now if you’d taken the senator…”

“What is it with you and getting me out with Padmé?” Skywalker rolled his eyes and nudged Rex’s shoulder, pouting a little, almost making Rex slosh his drink. Rex didn’t think it could be very comfortable, leaning against him with all of his armor on, but he didn’t complain, or even move, not an inch, since Skywalker was _right there_ leaning against him. “What’s wrong with wanting to spend a little time with your captain?”

“Other than it’s a bit weird?” Rex tapped his fingers on the cold cup.

Rex still didn’t move, but Skywalker was leaning on the arm that had the drink, so he couldn’t really take a sip to alleviate the growing heat rising to his face as Skywalker stayed right where he was, _leaning against him_. He could feel Skywalker’s hair ticking the back of his neck as a warm wind blew around them, because his helmet was off, and if Skywalker moved just a bit closer, they’d be pressed together. 

“You seem fond of her. Since we’re all around the galaxy, it would be thoughtless of me not to let you have your time with her while you’re on the same planet.” _I just want you to be happy. You seem so happy with her._

“I seem fond of _her_?” There was an amused tone in Skywalker’s voice now, and Rex smiled a little bit, against his will. He loved Skywalker’s bemused grin, and he could picture it along with Skywalker’s tone even if he couldn’t see Skywalker’s face, because _Skywalker hadn’t moved._ This man would be the death of him, he knew it.

“Rather.” Rex aimed for a very neutral sort of cheerfulness, something that might suggest he considered Skywalker very much a friendly commanding officer– which he was, and nothing more– as he said, “Flirtatious, almost.”

Skywalker, still leaning against his shoulder, shook, trembling. It took Rex a moment to realize this was because Skywalker was laughing. 

“You think _that’s_ flirting?” Skywalker asked, moving. Rex missed his weight, even if it was cooler without sharing body heat and he now had access to his drink. Skywalker’s mouth had twisted into a half-surprised smile, as if _almost_ too surprised to smile at all, but not really. “What do you think I was doing with you during the meeting?”

Rex flushed, considering. “You wanted to occupy yourself,” he said as tactfully as he could, “You were _bored out of your mind_ and you wanted to do something. It isn’t unlike you, General, no matter how fond you are of the Senator, you can’t keep your attention on anyone for that long if they’re not saying anything that interests you. That doesn’t mean you _aren’t fond_ of her.”

Skywalker just raised his eyebrows, looking extremely unimpressed. “You don’t talk that much at all,” he said, “And you’ve kept my attention for a couple years and counting.”

Rex could’ve sworn the planet stopped spinning for a moment. It was completely possible the whole galaxy went still. “If…” he started, his voice weak. He tried again. “If that’s your idea of a compliment, General…”

“That is my idea of _flirting_ ,” Skywalker interrupted him dryly, “or at least aggressively propositioning you, since the flirting didn’t work.”

Rex blinked, still trying to catch up. “What flirting? I’d have noticed.”

“How many times did I ask you during this day alone?” Skywalker looked as if he was slowly losing a battle with a laugh. “I asked you if you’d like to get something cold, and then I told you I’d do anything you wanted when we were done– the _idea_ was to do it with you, but you told me to go with Padmé, so I asked, _what about you_? And derailed this, so I said let’s do something–”

Rex did remember this, although the way Skywalker was phrasing it wasn’t exactly how he’d thought of it. He let Skywalker go on– there couldn’t be much more.

“And you derailed that, so I asked what you’d do off duty, and you said you’d go somewhere cold, so I said choose that when you make me do whatever you want– the idea being it would be us, since I’m the one doing whatever you want. I asked you what _you_ wanted, for yourself. You did not answer this.”

“Okay,” Rex conceded, “There is a faint pattern.”

“When the meeting was over,” Skywalker continued, not done yet, “I suggested I take you somewhere, but you said your wish was for me to shut up–”

“Sure,” said Rex, his heart slowly expanding until it threatened to burst out of his chest. “It _was_ my wish, at the time.”

“And Padmé left us, because I was evidently not having very much success, and I said to you we should get something cold. To which you responded that if I wanted to go off on my own, you’d hand over one of your beloved blasters–”

“I get it _,_ General.” Rex’s heart sped in his chest. He felt very light and almost not-real. “I didn’t think of it quite like that.”

“I _did_ say I wanted to spend time with you and gave the blaster back, which I think is pretty clear communication, though you did suggest I go after Padmé–” 

Skywwalker was not satisfied by Rex’s concession, it seemed. 

Rex didn’t think the entire ocean of Mon Cala could cool him down at this point.

Skywalker continued, “I offered to take you somewhere nice, and you said–” 

“This was less than half an hour ago, sir, I remember–”

“–I should take _Padmé_ , Rex, that’s what you said. I _got you a drink_ and you went on about how if I’d taken ‘ _my senator’_ instead it wouldn’t be so weird–”

“ _Skywalker_ ,” Rex nearly shouted, “I _get it._ ”

“You _said_ ,” Skywalker shouted right over him, grinning outright now, as if absolutely delighted by how ridiculous he found it all, “that I seemed fond of _Padmé,_ and you thought I was flirting with _her_ –” he was laughing through the words now.

“General, this was five minutes ago.”

“This _was_ five minutes ago, so I hope you remember, I hope you remember this for the rest of your life– _directly after_ I told you you’d held my attention for years, you told me I hadn’t been flirting with you, because _you’d have noticed_.”

Rex couldn’t help the goofy, hopeless grin on his own face as Skywalker pointing an accusing finger at him emphatically, laughing too much for it to have any aggression to it what-so-ever. 

“I…” he must’ve sounded as completely blank as he felt– how could he think when all these feelings were swirling inside of him, bursting out of him, making him feel like a human firework?– because Skywalker laughed again. “I’ll just cash in my real wish, then.”

“Let me guess,” Skywalker deadpanned, “You want me to take the senator somewhere nice.”

“I have a lot of wishes, General.”

Skywalker snickered. “Maybe call me Anakin. I don’t know. It’s not like I just asked you out a dozen times over or anything. Spill it, Rex. What’s your wish for _you_?”

Rex smiled, feeling stupid and completely unashamed of being stupid. “In my heart of hearts?”

“In your heart of hearts. Tell me all of them.”

“Well,” Rex said, pretending to consider, “I think you could take me out somewhere nice.” He grinned. “And cold.”

Skywalker pointed a finger at him. “That I can do.”

“And Anakin?” 

Rex gazed at Skywalker, relishing the way the name felt in his mouth, the way Skywalker’s pretty blue eyes widened and his cheeks colored as Rex said his name. Skywalker’s throat bobbed.

“Hmm?” Skywalker prompted, like he was having trouble making the sound at all. Rex liked to think maybe this was the case.

“I’ve wanted, in my heart of hearts, for you to kiss me.”

Skywalker’s eyes sparked like fire. “You’ve wanted?” he murmured, already leaning in.

Rex smiled and moved towards Anakin this time, instead of staying painstakingly still. “For a couple years and counting.”

Skywalker’s lips were warm, the inside of his mouth searing hot, the human hand cupping his face sending sparks down Rex’s spine– and even that was nothing to the roaring fire that lit inside of Rex as they kissed, rolling hot and full through his body, like longing but better, because now he had it. Anakin didn’t even seem to mind the hard, uncomfortable edges of Rex’s armor. Everything, every inch of Rex was fire.

They really would have to go somewhere cold.

Together.

And maybe, just maybe, without Senator Amidala.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you so much for reading! I really appreciate the comments on my last Rexwalker– these two are such a rarepair. We must stick together. 
> 
> If you'd like to say hi, or drop me an ask or prompt, you can check out my Tumblr @[starwars-but-its-stormpilot](https://www.tumblr.com/blog/starwars-but-its-stormpilot). You could also check out my extremely mess main @[tigerlilycorinne](https://www.tumblr.com/blog/tigerlilycorinne).


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